How to Watch All the ‘Mission: Impossible' Movies

CNET

04-07-2025

It's been almost 30 years since Mission: Impossible hit cinemas in 1996 as an adaptation of the 1966 television series of the same name. The Brian De Palma-directed film starring Tom Cruise was a critical success and kickstarted a franchise that remains so successful that MI movies are still being released more than two decades later.
When the first movie came out, I was extremely excited to see it and borrowed the VHS tape from a neighbor. Flash-forward to 2000, and I made it my mission to see the sequel, MI2, at the box office. After directors De Palma, John Woo, J.J. Abrams and Brad Bird played hot potato with the reins, Christopher McQuarrie helmed the next four films, starting with Rogue Nation. The eighth series entry, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, hit cinemas in May 2025.
If you've made it your mission to watch the entire Mission: Impossible franchise -- or at least a few flicks -- here's where you can stream each one for an adrenaline-fueled romp.
There are a whopping 8 Mission: Impossible movies
With a respectable eight films in the series, watching all of the Mission: Impossible movies is a commitment. Here are all of the Mission: Impossible movies in release order:
Mission: Impossible (1996)
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025)
How to watch all the Mission: Impossible movies
The first seven Mission: Impossible series films -- from the 1996 original to 2023's Dead Reckoning -- are available to stream on Paramount Plus, making it the most convenient streaming service to binge the franchise on.
While Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is coming to Paramount Plus, there's no official release date. But looking at recent films that hit Paramount Plus after their box office runs, I expect we'll be able to stream The Final Reckoning in July or August of 2025 -- two or three months after it debuted in theaters. Gladiator 2 surged into cinemas in November 2024 before leaping onto Paramount Plus in January 2025. Likewise, Smile 2 had its box office debut in October 2024 and was subsequently released on Paramount Plus in December 2024. Based on that historical timeline of movies taking two or three months to hit Paramount Plus, I'm guessing it'll be a similar trajectory for The Final Reckoning.
While Paramount Plus will be the easiest place to watch all of the Mission: Impossible movies, you can find them streaming elsewhere. Netflix has the first five Mission: Impossible movies -- Mission: Impossible, MI2, MI3, Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation.
Prime Video includes the seventh film, Dead Reckoning. The other films require a rental or purchase fee. Peacock has the first film available to stream, too.
You can stream some of the Mission: Impossible movies for free if you can put up with commercials
If you're OK with watching commercials, free ad-supported streaming services like Tubi, Plex and Pluto TV can be goldmines for movies and shows. Pluto TV has the first five Mission: Impossible movies, from the 1996 original to 2015's Rogue Nation, available to stream on demand. You can also stream tons of other great movies and TV shows at no cost on Pluto TV, including seasons three through seven of the 1966 Mission: Impossible series that inspired the film franchise.
James Martin/CNET Paramount Plus Carries all Mission: Impossible movies
Paramount Plus has a starting price of $8 per month or $60 per year for its basic, ad-supported plan. The Paramount Plus with Showtime tier goes for $13 a month or $120 per year. You can take advantage of a one-week free trial if you'd like to test the service out before committing.
Alternatively, you can get Paramount Plus with a Walmart Plus subscription, which sets you back $13 per month or $98 per year. If you have Walmart Plus, you can upgrade from the entry-level Paramount Plus tier to Paramount Plus with Showtime for $5.50 per month or $65 annually. In addition to the MI movies, you can stream tons of other films and series on Paramount Plus, including Smile 2, Evil and Criminal Minds: Evolution. Paramount Plus has a few seasons of the 1966 television series that inspired the film franchise, in case you want to brush up on your Impossible Mission Force history. See at Paramount Plus
Netflix Carries the first five Mission: Impossible movies
Netflix hosts the first five Mission: Impossible flicks -- Mission: Impossible, MI2, MI III, Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation. In addition to the bulk of the Mission: Impossible franchise, you can also stream original series and movies like Dept. Q, Squid Game and The Old Guard on Netflix.
A Netflix subscription costs you $8 a month for its standard with ads plan, $18 a month for the Standard tier or $25 a month for its Premium package. Standard with ads and Standard both let you watch on two devices at a time in 1080p high-definition, while Premium ups the ante to four simultaneous devices and 4K streaming for the best possible picture quality. If you want to share a plan with friends and family members, the Standard and Premium tiers let you add sub-accounts. An additional member account costs $7 a month with ads or $9 a month without ads. You can add one extra member with Standard or two extra members with Premium. See at Netflix
Do you need to watch the entire Mission: Impossible series in order?
Generally, most of the Mission: Impossible movies are at least somewhat standalone, especially Mission: Impossible 2. While I recommend watching the whole lineup in order, I recognize that not everyone has time for a commitment like that. MI2 is the most skippable of the franchise, so if you're pressed for time and not up for an eight-film romp, you can jump from Mission: Impossible to MI3 without missing much.